


Changing The Plan: Epilogue

by Wyndewalker



Series: Change The Plan [2]
Category: Adjustment Bureau (2011), Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-16 02:05:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/856524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wyndewalker/pseuds/Wyndewalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the first time in a long time the future is wide open.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Changing The Plan: Epilogue

When the portal snapped shut the Scoobies on the ground prepared themselves for the worst. They'd seen someone jump from the tower and since the portal had closed it could only be one of two people. But when their eyes cleared from the light of the portal snapping shut they were shocked by what they saw.

There were two bodies instead of one. And one was definitely a guy.

It wasn't until Buffy stumbled her way down from the tower that they started moving again.

"Dawnie," Buffy sobbed, tripping over the debris on the ground in her rush to get to her sister. Dropping to her knees besides the bodies, she reach out to rip away the man who'd killed her little sister only to have Giles stop her. He stood fast in the face of her anger.

"Look at them, Buffy. Truly look. This wasn't done maliciously."

Forcing herself to do as he asked, Buffy looked at the two entwined bodies. She couldn't see the man's face but something about him was familiar, something about the dark hair and broad shoulders. He was wrapped around Dawn, a lax hand still cradling her head as if to protect her from the impact. The man, who ever he was, had tried to take the brunt of their fall. He had tried to protect her even as he killed her. Buffy didn’t know if that made it better or worse.

She reached out, far more gently this time, and carefully eased him away from Dawn so that he was lying on his back. Buffy couldn’t help the gasp that was echoed by the others when they saw his face. She looked from the man to Xander who had gone a ghostly pale color. There was no denying it. Even with the obviously recent injury to his left eye the man on the ground was a slightly older version of Xander. It couldn’t be possible and yet the proof in front of them was undeniable. Xander tried to deny it anyway.

“I don’t understand,” he said to no one in particular. “That guy looks like me but it can’t be because I’m me and I haven’t been split into two people again. At least I don’t think I have. Did I get hit with the Toth’s stick thing when I wasn’t looking?”

“He’s you from the future, kid,” a Brooklyn accented voice said from behind them. They turned to find a short round-faced man who looked like he hadn’t moved past 70’s fashion standing there. Beside was an older gentleman wearing a white suit.

“Whistler,” Buffy growled. “Who’s your friend?”

“Management,” Whistler said with a shrug. “Not the ones you usually deal with but he played a wild card no one even knew was in the deck and here we are.”

“Could you not talk in riddles for once? Because I swear if I don’t get a straight answer I will rip out your rib cage and wear it as a party hat while I dance a jig on your bones.”

The Balance demon sighed, shaking his head. “Always with the threats with you. You want the straight dope? Fine. Here it is. Yeah, you could have jumped in your sister’s place. The mortal construct of the Key was made from your blood so technically you’re interchangeable but you’re really not. You jump, you die, you get your reward and go to Heaven. Sounds peachy keen for you and it is until Little Miss Major Mojo here gets it in her head that you’re soul is trapped in a Hell dimension and she has to rescue you. No one can change her mind and she manages to talk Blondie, Anyanka and the Boy Hero into helping her rip you out of Heaven.”

Willow gasps, shaking her head. “No! I would never do that. I wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, you would because you’ve got more power than sense and a big old streak of I know best. So, long story shortened as much as I can, in two years time the Slayer here is a walking time-bomb of self-loathing, Little Miss Mojo is a barely recovering Black Magic junkie, Blondie is dead, Anyanka is the little vengeance demon who couldn’t, Spikey is barely holding onto his sanity after going and getting his soul plugged back in, the Watcher is making a questionable decisions, and Boy Hero has just had his eye gouged out by the avatar of the First Evil who is about to get the biggest foothold in this dimension that its’ had in millennia. All because the Slayer sacrificed herself instead of the Key. A whole lot of pain and suffering and not one but two possible apocalypses can be traced back to this moment in time.”

Whistler paused letting it all sink in as he looked at each of them, even Spike who’d managed to find some shelter from the sun but remain within hearing distance. “When Boy Hero lost his eye some blocks that were never supposed to be removed got broken. He became the One Who Sees and followed some of Management’s people down the rabbit hole. He was given a choice. Return to the point at which he left and hope that you all would be able to pull another miracle out of your collective asses. Or he could come back to the biggest plot point in this story. Boy Hero may be known as the White Knight in a lot of circles but he’s always been good at seeing the gray too. He sacrificed himself hoping to spare you all the pain that’s coming. He sacrificed himself to make it easier for the Key to do her duty. What he did is major. For the first time in a very very long time the future is a very blank slate that no one can see yet. What you do now, what you do in the next couple of months will define everything. And the Powers won’t be able to help at all. In fact once I leave here I won’t have a clue as to what happened. Just the feeling that the world dodged a very nasty bullet.”

“That’s it? My sister and some version of Xander from the future are dead and we’re supposed to just live our lives as if nothing happened?” Buffy snarled.

“Hardly,” Whistler snorted. “The last thing you people should be doing is pretending nothing happened. Little Miss Mojo needs to get herself some teachers who’ll knock some sense into her head. The coven back in merry old that the Watcher knows should do the trick. And if you try and claim you can’t leave here long enough to learn then you need to do some serious re-evaluating of your life. You, Slayer, need to talk to someone about… well, everything. Management already has his people on nudging someone in your direction. Don’t push them away when you cross their path.”

Whistler turned to Xander and Anya who were holding onto each other. “I hate to do this to you, kid, but you two? Love will not see you through. I’m not saying you two don’t love each other in your own ways but it won’t be enough in the end. Best case scenario you walk away from each other and stay friends. Worst case scenario you’re both dead. There is someone who you are both better suited for and neither of you will have to look very far to find them.”

Anya looked up at Xander for a moment then reached into her pocket and pulled out the engagement ring he’d given her earlier. With a tremulous smile she handed it back to him. He took it sighing softly.

“As for you sister, Slayer, well, like I said the Key was never supposed to be made flesh. However, that doesn’t mean the vessel has to be destroyed once the Key is removed. She’ll be a witch of some power when all is said and done. For now though she’ll just be a little girl with a lot of healing to do and going stir crazy from the enforced bed rest. Don’t say the Powers never did anything for you.”

Before Buffy could demand an explanation Whistler and the Management guy were gone. She started to turn to Giles but a low moan caught her attention. Buffy froze. It couldn’t be. The moan came again followed by a whimper.

“Dawnie?” Buffy reached out to her sister and instead of the cold, lifeless body she was expecting she touched warm flesh with a pulse. “Giles! She’s alive!”

For the first time since they realized what they were up against in Glory they felt hope in their hearts.

Finis


End file.
